Sam ... You Are The Man!

September 4:  PHILLIES 5, Milwaukee 4

How often do you ever give thanks for having a good, aggressive third base coach?  I'd bet that the answer is a) never, or b) only when a sportscaster brings it to my attention.

Such is the case in the Phillies win on Saturday night.  Sure, you can focus on the four long balls that Roy Halladay surrendered.  Or the back-to-back jacks by Howard and Werth that tied the game at two.

But you'd be missing out on the real story of the game, third base coach Sam Perlozzo's heads-up call to send Wilson Valdez on Ryan Braun's overthrow that plated the eventual winning run.  Sam read that play all the way, because there is no way he can send Valdez if Valdez has already come to a dead stop at third on the sac fly.

Reading that play takes a lot of skill, not just in knowing that the throw is going to be high and wild, but in also knowing that the sign needs to be given early enough so that Valdez never slows down, stops, or otherwise doesn't keep churning towards home plate.  All too often, fans want to criticize third base coaches for either being too conservative, or not reading plays like the one that scored Valdez.  And rarely do they give credit on a play like the one that won the game last night to the guy who really made it happen ... third base coach Sam Perlozzo.

Great read on the play, Sam.  Way to steal one from the Brewers, big guy!

Phillies fans ... when you're toasting things this weekend, raise a glass for Sam.

Order up!